He nodded and winced. Blinking again and again, he shook his head. “Tired.”

“I know. You can keep your eyes closed, but you have to take these. Open your mouth for me.” He did. I placed the pills in and helped him drink. He cringed when they slid down. I glanced to Country. “When I have him bandaged, we’ll need to move him right away. Get him home, and I’ll go to the hospital for things.”

Country nodded. “We’re set to go when you are. There’ll be no witnesses. The other brothers will stay. They know what to do.”

I went to work, and even though I hated myself for hurting him more, it had to get done. I had to keep going through his whimpers, his cries, and his begging for me to stop. By the end of it, he passed out.

“West,” Adrik called, panicked.

I rested my hand on his arm. “It’s okay. He’s just unconscious. His mind is protecting itself.”

His jaw clenched, but he nodded.

Looking to Wade, I ordered, “Find something we can use as a stretcher.” Wade walked from the basement without a question. “We have to be very careful when we move him.”

“Da,”

“Adrik, what do you want me to do?” Dimitri asked.

“Go to my parents. Tell them I won’t be home. Tell them what happened.”

Dimitri’s lips thinned. “Do they—”

“They know. Take the men outside with you.”

Dimitri nodded and left.

“You can go too—” Country started to say to Adrik.

“Do not say another fucking word,” Adrik snarled. “I do not leave West’s side.”

“Don’t!” The word came from me. Country’s eyes were already on me when I looked up. “Adrik needs to stay.”

“I agree,” Kylo stated.

Country tipped his chin up. “Okay then.”

“I killed the father too quickly,” Adrik muttered, more to himself maybe. “He should have suffered for what they have done.”

“He’s burning in hell for it right now,” Saint said.

“Not enough,” Adrik clipped.

“No, it’s not,” Kylo agreed. “At least we have the other… cunt to rain pain on.”

Adrik’s smile was sinister. “She will learn just what they have done to him by doing it to her.”

“He’ll need boxers or something wrapped around his waist,” I said.

“He can have mine,” Kylo replied, already undoing his jeans.

“Jesus,” my brother clipped. He pulled Kylo to a corner and guarded him so no other saw.

By the time Wade came back down the stairs with State, we had helped West into the boxers. They had found an ironing board, and even though it was old, it was wide and perfect. I nodded. “Good. We’ll lift him gently and lay him on his stomach. It’s going to be hard going up the stairs, but we can do this. I need at least four surrounding him at all times.”